CBI corruption case Live Updates: SC to hear CVC's version of its preliminary inquiry against Agency chief Alok Verma shortly
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on Monday submitted the report on its preliminary enquiry into the allegations of corruption against CBI Director Alok Verma to the Supreme Court. The report was submitted in a closed envelope. The court fixed the next hearing on Friday, November 16.
The hearing comes two days after Verma, appeared before the CVC panel headed by KV Chowdhary and refuted allegations levelled against him by CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana.
Verma's plea, which had been heard by a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on previous occasions, is now listed for hearing on November 12 before a two-judge bench comprising the CJI and Justice SK Kaul. The court had appointed former apex court judge AK Patnaik to supervise the ongoing inquiry of CVC against Verma.
Here are the highlights on SC hearing on CVC enquiry on CBI factional feud:
11:48 am: CBI asked to refrain from taking any major decisions. SC to take up review of decisions made by interim chief Rao since October 23 on Friday.
11:44 am: CVC submits report on its preliminary enquiry to SC in closed envelope; next hearing on Friday
11:40 am: CVC presents its preliminary inquiry against Agency chief Alok Verma before SC
11:25 pm: The matter has been listed at no. 47 in the court room number 1. Hearing to begin shortly.
10:40 am: Delhi: A CVC team has reached Supreme Court. On October 26, SC had asked CVC to complete inquiry in respect of the allegation made against CBI Director Alok Verma within a period of 2 weeks
Besides issuing notices to the Centre and the CVC on the plea of Verma, the apex court, on October 26, had also set a deadline of two weeks for the CVC to complete the preliminary inquiry against the CBI director.
It had also barred IPS officer M Nageswara Rao, who has been given interim charge of the CBI, from taking any major decision.
The top court on Monday would also peruse the decisions taken by Rao from October 23, including transfer of investigations and change of investigating officers and may pass some appropriate orders on them.
It had said that a list of all the decisions taken by Rao between "October 23, 2018 and up to this hour including decisions with regard to transfer of investigations, change of investigating officer(s) etc will be furnished to the court in a sealed cover on or before November 12, 2018 whereafter orders as would be appropriate will be passed by the court."
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CVC, had said that the CVC has been conducting an inquiry into the allegations made in the August 24 note/letter of the Cabinet Secretary with regard to Verma.
Besides the plea filed by Verma, the court is also seized of the PIL filed by NGO Common Cause, which has sought a probe by special investigation team against CBI officers including Asthana, and had issued notices to the Centre, CBI, CVC, Asthana, Verma and Rao asking them to respond to it by November 12.
Asthana has also moved the Supreme Court with a separate petition in the matter and has sought removal of Verma from the post of CBI Director.
"We want to see preliminary probe report in 10 days to decide whether it requires further probe," the bench had said.
The feud between Verma and Asthana escalated recently leading to registration of an FIR against the latter and others including Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar, who is in CBI custody in an alleged bribery case.
Both Asthana and Verma have been sent on leave.
The CBI had on October 15 registered the FIR against Asthana for allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 2 crore from Hyderabad-based businessman Sana Sathish Babu which was given through two middlemen Manoj Prasad and Somesh Prasad to sabotage the probe against meat exporter Moin Qureshi.
On August 24, Asthana, in his complaint to the Cabinet Secretary, had levelled allegations against Verma that he got a bribe of Rs two crore from Sana to help him get some relief from questioning in the matter.
